Police officer convicted of sexual assaults

NEW HAVEN (AP) - A Superior Court jury has convicted an East Windsor police officer of sexually assaulting his former fiancee.

The jury Monday convicted

Rafael Crespo
Jr., 30, of two counts each of first-degree sexual assault and third-degree assault.

Crespo has been with the department for four years. He was arrested on Feb. 3, 2005, by
Yale University
police. Crespo was accused of raping and assaulting his former fiancee, a Yale student, several times while off duty.

Crespo, who is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced July 21. He was placed on unpaid administrative leave pending a termination hearing after his conviction Monday.

The termination hearing, run by the town police commission, could be held as early as Wednesday evening. The commission is responsible for hiring and firing officers, but in this case the hearing will be a formality.

"He's been convicted of felonies, which precludes him from working as a police officer," East Windsor Detective
Matthew Carl
said.